Mayor Brown says the City is prepared for every scenario with COVID-19

Mayor Peter Brown addresses the crowd at a press conference on Monday, March 16 along with the Emergency Management Team. He said that the City is fully prepared with plans to face COVID-19.Kelsey Yates / jpg, AI

The situation with COVID-19 continues to rapidly change every day, and municipalities are rushing to put plans in place to stop the spread of the virus.

On March 17, the Province of Alberta declared a state of public health emergency with the confirmed cases of the virus having risen to 97.

“This is such an unprecedented event that we’re all having to go through,” said Mayor Peter Brown at a press conference.

“We’re prepared. Our essential services are ready. We are organized. We have fail-safe for every different scenario possible.”

The City of Airdrie followed suit and also declared a local state of emergency with all public and private facilities being ordered to limit their capacity to less than 50 people or 50 per cent, whichever number is lower.

Albertans are now prohibited from using public recreation facilities and private entertainment facilities, including casinos, bars, nightclubs, gyms, swimming pools, arenas, science centres, museums, art galleries, community centres, and children’s play centres.

It has been recommended to cancel any large conferences or family events, such as weddings and funerals.

Grocery stores, shopping centres, health centres, pharmacies, airports, the legislature and other essential services are exempt from these limitations and can remain open.

Restaurants are also permitted to stay open with the limitations on capacity. However, it is recommended that residents utilize drive-throughs and food delivery instead of sitting down in public to eat.

In Airdrie, this means that Genesis Place, the Ron Ebbesen Arena, and the Airdrie Public Library have closed indefinitely.

For Genesis Place, all passes will automatically be placed on suspension with unused credit remaining on the accounts for future use.

“This means that all payments will stop immediately,” said Michelle Locke, director of Community Services.

“We know there will be many questions from residents. We invite you to call, email, or contact us via social media. But we ask for your patience as we work through the higher than normal volume of inquiries.”

Due to the closure of these public facilities, the City announced the decision to lay off 184 casual employees on March 20.

“We do not take the decision to part ways with any of our staff lightly,” said City Manager Paul Schulz.

“We have heavily weighed all options in the effort to make the right decision with the information available to us. We will continue to monitor needs across the organization and feel this action is in the best interest of the employees and our organization.”

According to the City, the decision to provide lay-off notices now was an effort, in part, to give employees the option of applying for assistance being provided by the Provincial and Federal Governments.

“In this time of mass uncertainty we are doing all we can to manage the needs of our business and the community to get through this difficult time,” said Schulz.

These measures to close public facilities are an attempt to “flatten the curve”, which means using social distancing and isolation to prevent the health care system from being overwhelmed by a rising number of COVID-19 cases.

A total of 26,740 people have been tested negative in Alberta, and the hope is that social distancing will keep confirmed cases at a manageable level.

As of March 23, there are 259 confirmed cases in the province, with one death and three reported recovered.

“These are difficult decisions, but it is based on the recommendations from Alberta Health Services (AHS),” said Mayor Brown.

“There’s a difference in being afraid and being prepared. I want to urge you all to take the precautions that AHS has recommended. Be vigilant on their website, as this [situation] changes all the time.”

In this time of great uncertainty, the Mayor encouraged residents to stay positive.

“I want to encourage residents to look at this situation one day at a time,” he said.

“It’s hard not to speculate or think about the future. There is a lot of worry surrounding jobs, businesses, and the economy. Live it one day at a time because there’s so much uncertainty out there.”

He thanked the community for still making the effort to care for one another, which is something he said makes Airdrie a special place.

“We look out for our neighbours, and I’ve seen that on social media with people shovelling driveways and shopping for seniors,” said Mayor Brown.

“[It’s important] to make those calls and connect with others, so that you’re not feeling so isolated.”

He also thanked all of the hardworking health care professionals that are on the front lines.

“The doctors, the nurses, the first responders – they’re inundated,” he said.

“We have a great appreciation for the work that they’re doing in some very unbelievably difficult circumstances.”

In the coming weeks, Mayor Brown also encouraged residents to make their physical and mental health a priority.

“Make certain that you’re looking after the wellness of your family,” he said.

“There’s lots of things to do outside. Walk your dog, play in the park, go for a bike ride. Do some projects inside like woodworking or grab a can of paint from Home Depot. Stay active as much as possible.”

Residents are also encouraged to monitor airdrie.ca/covid for frequent updates specific to the community.